When Clients Steal Design Ideas: Why Mood Boards Are More Than Pretty Pictures

Every year, I see the most wonderful projects created by my students. Their mood boards are clever, creative, and often surprisingly polished. Sometimes they even look so good that you can imagine a client thinking, “I’ll just take that idea and do it myself.” And my students often ask me the same question: What do you do when a client takes your ideas without paying?

What do you do when a client takes your ideas without paying?

It’s an awkward situation, but one that every designer needs to learn how to handle.

Boho Mood Board by IDI student boho Paula Soledad Rodriguez Sosa

Why mood boards are not free inspiration

A mood board is never just a collection of nice images. Even the simplest board involves hours of research, editing, and refining. My students learn quickly that every choice — the scale of a sofa, the tone of a timber floor, the balance between colour and texture — is deliberate. Behind every board sits knowledge, skill, and creative judgment.

When a client lifts those ideas without paying, they are using unpaid creative labour. In most industries, this would be unthinkable. In design, it too often gets brushed off as “inspiration.” But ideas have value — they are the intellectual property of the designer who created them.

Living Room Sample Board by IDI Student Roland Benke

Boundaries are part of the job

The easiest way to avoid misunderstandings is to set clear boundaries from the start. Contracts should clearly state that concepts remain the property of the designer until payment is made in full.

Some professionals only share watermarked boards or lower-resolution previews until agreements are in place. These steps may feel overly formal when you are eager to please, but they protect both the designer and the client.

For my students, this is one of the most important lessons: if you don’t value your own work, you can’t expect clients to value it either.

French Provincial Mood Board by IDI student Hollie Laird

The difference a professional makes

Even if a client tries to take a board and run with it, the results rarely live up to the promise. A board might look beautiful, but the reality of implementing it is far more complex. Designers bring far more to the table than a collage of ideas.

• We have access to suppliers and trade discounts that the general public can’t get

• We manage contractors, delivery schedules, and installation headaches

• We make sure the proportions actually fit, the finishes truly match, and the lighting supports the space

• And perhaps most importantly, we prevent costly mistakes that eat into time, budget, and sanity

This is where the real value lies. A good designer doesn’t just dream up the concept — they make it work in reality.

Dining Room Sample Board by IDI student Carmen Rodriguez Mendoza

Respect goes both ways

Design is built on trust and collaboration. Clients deserve to feel confident that their designer will respect their budget and vision. Equally, designers deserve respect for the time, knowledge, and creative effort they put in.

When that balance is right, everyone wins. Clients get more than a mood board — they get a space that functions, feels right, and is executed to a high standard. Designers get recognition and fair compensation for their work.

It’s a win–win, and far better than the shortcut of lifting ideas without paying for the expertise that makes them possible.